What Are You Doing New Year's Eve?
by ShoeQueen
Summary: Jack and Sam are reunited at a New Year's Eve party and sparks fly.


**Disclosure: Not my . I just like to make them kiss. :)**

**A/N: Holidays bring out the romantic in me. I know I missed NYE, but I was busy, so better late than never, right? **

**This story has not been beta'd so all mistakes are mine (though sadly the characters are not). It was written in a hurry before it left my head completely, so it's not perfect. Reviews appreciated.**

* * *

New Year's Eve 2005

Jack hated these kinds of events. He was dressed in his stiff dress uniform, which was worse than the one he wore daily. The collar was itchy and the coat less maneuverable. He'd like to have a good long talk with the committee who decided on their uniforms. God, they had a committee for uniforms. Did the military do nothing easily? After more than 25 years being part of that institution, he knew the answer to that was a resounding 'no.' Nothing was ever simple, especially not with his life. He thought back to when it had been. Being part of SG-1 had surprisingly been some of the easiest and best days he'd ever had. Okay, so not the fighting the Goa'uld part, or the being tortured by Ba'al part or well, lots of parts, but he'd had his team and they'd made it all worthwhile. He thought of one person in particular who had made it worthwhile. Carter. Just her name made his chest tighten. He missed her. He missed her smiles, especially the smile that she gave no one else but him. He'd missed many chances with her and regretted every single one. When they had been mind stamped and forced to work below ground, they'd somehow found each other, even though they had no memory of their previous interactions. He remembered holding her at night and feeling a contentment he hadn't felt since. Even as lowly workers, they'd somehow eeked out a small measure of happiness together. There were times when he wished they were still underground, if only so he could hold her again. He found that thought incredibly depressing and took another sip of the drink in his hand.

Turning away from the window, he surveyed the crowd in the East Room of the White House. It was packed full of Washington Elite in tuxedos and formal dresses and military brass in all their beribboned glory. Jack was one of those military brass now and it made him feel dirty, like he'd somehow betrayed himself. Since coming to DC, he'd felt less like himself than he ever had. He spent endless days in meetings with jackasses who cared more for their own careers than saving the planet, and lived under a mountain of paperwork. It was not what he'd joined the Air Force to do. He'd joined to fight enemies and keep peace, which he'd done with varying degrees of success for as long as he could remember, until taking his promotion and the command of the SGC. He hated every minute he had to stay on world while sending out teams to uncertain futures. He especially hated that SG-1 went without him. He hated not being there to make sure they all came back. Not that that had always happened, but no matter what they always returned. It may have taken months and they might not come back completely without injuries, both physical and mental, but they always came home. Being left behind when they went out always made him sick to his stomach until the arrived back whole and safe. He knew they could take care of themselves, but knowing and being there to help were not the same thing.

'Happy New Year," General George Hammond said walking up to Jack. He had taken to Washington far better than Jack had, but then he'd always been better at keeping his temper and hiding what he was really thinking. Jack was still working on that. Unsuccessfully, he thought with a rueful smile.

"You too, Sir."

"Jack, you've got to call me George. How many times do I have to tell you that?" Jack O'Neill was one of the best, but most difficult officers Hammond had ever had to deal with, but he'd enjoyed every moment of it, and knew Jack's heart was in the right place.

"Force of habit." He and Jack walked from the crowed East Room, through an equally crowded Green Room and finally stopped in the oval Blue Room. The view out the windows was spectacular. Jack was surprised the room wasn't more crowded, but then again, the food, and more importantly, the alcohol were in other rooms. They could hear the band set up in the State Dining Room, which was currently being used for dancing. Jack sincerely doubted he'd step in there. Still, the music was nice. "So, how's it going?"

Hammond turned toward the door to the hall and motioned with his head to a Senator standing there clearly flirting with a woman in a long green dress. She was a good twenty-five years younger than him and she wasn't his current wife. "That one is giving me all kinds of hell. Keeps saying we can't afford more ships, but insists we do more to protect the Earth from threats. How he expects this to get done though I'm not sure."

Jack snorted. "Ah, politicians. Don't you just love 'em?" He in fact did not. Most of them, in his opinion, were nothing more than a bunch of snot nosed brats who had no idea what it was like to actually defend their country, let alone the entire planet. They expected things to magically work out, but didn't think the country should be spending money on it. Jack personally thought it should be a requirement to be in the military before running for office. Then again, that meant that the good people of the military would have to put up with them and that might not be such a good thing. Too many of the political wanna be's might get shot. Then again, that might _not_ be such a bad thing. He grinned to himself.

"So," George said casually, "spoken with anyone at the SGC lately?"

"Not in a month or so, why?" Jack had spoken to both Daniel and Teal'c in November, but hadn't bothered to call anyone over the holidays. He knew they'd all be off doing their own thing. He hadn't spoken to Carter in, well, a long time, and that had only been a brief conversation about Cassie and her schooling. Things had been strained between them since before he left for DC and he didn't know how to fix it.

George shook his head. "No, just curious how they're all doing." It was more than that. He had known for years how Jack and Sam felt about each other, and how miserable they were not being able to do anything about it. He'd hoped that when Jack was transferred from her direct chain of command, at his own urging, that they might decided to take a chance, but sadly they hadn't and Jack seemed more miserable than ever. "I miss that place."

Jack nodded. "Me too, George. Me too. More than you know. This," he waved his hand around at the crowd, "is not really for me."

"I know, Jack, but you're doing a spectacular job. Hell, half the people here are scared to death of you, and the other half are so impressed by your, uh...let's go with frankness, they practically want to elect you for president." Jack laughed. The thought was beyond ridiculous.

"Someone trying to take my job?" They both turned around to find the current president, Henry Hayes, standing there.

"Absolutely not, Mr. President," Jack said as Hayes reached out to shake his hand. "Couldn't pay me."

"They would, but it's lousy considering what you have to put up with." He turned to George and extended his hand, "Good to see you, George."

"You too, Mr. President."

A waiter came up and handed them all a fresh drink. "Can't beat the service though. So, enjoying yourselves, generals?" They both nodded, but Jack's look made Hayes laugh. "Ah, Jack, you have a terrible poker face."

"Yeah, well, I'm more of a beer and pizza kind of guy."

Hayes laughed again. "Jack, you're good for me. I'm a beer and pizza kind of guy at heart too. It's rare I get the chance to indulge though. State dinners generally have a fancier menu."

"Well, Mr. President, you're always welcome at my house for a guy's night. George here can attest to my stellar ability to order pizza. Hell, I'll even feed your Secret Service guys." Jack nodded to the large tuxedo-clad figures who stood along the wall and looked wildly out of place. Teal'c would have looked right at home among them, he thought briefly.

"Sounds like a plan," Hayes said. He turned and looked back at the crowd. Jack couldn't see what he was looking at, but there was a smile on the President's face. He turned back to them. "And now, if you'll excuse me, I see some new arrivals I need to go greet. Jack, you might want to say hello to them later."

Jack snorted. "Yeah, always happy to meet new people, Mr. President."

When the President retreated, George turned back to Jack. "He likes you a lot."

"Some days I like him." Jack and Hayes had had a rough start at the beginning of Hayes's term in office, but since getting to know him better, and after heading up the SGC, coming to understand the type of pressure he was under, Jack had come to understand why he made some of the decisions he had. Of course kicking Kinsey to the curb had gone a long way in making Jack like Hayes. It was quite possibly the smartest move he'd made.

Jack turned around at a tap to his shoulder and was startled to see a familiar face. "Daniel? What the hell are you doing here?"

Daniel gave them both a big grin. "Nice to see you too Jack. And to answer your question, the President invited me. Last minute of course, but I thought I'd fly in to at least see you. And you too, General Hammond."

"Well, it's good to see you, Dr. Jackson." George said, shaking Daniel's hand. "it's been too long."

"So," Jack said looking around, "I'm assuming Vala is here?" Vala at the White House was not the best idea he'd heard of. While she seemed to be reforming her ways, she still had sticky fingers and he could see her making off with half the silver.

Daniel looked slightly uncomfortable. "Um, no. She's, um, she's sick and couldn't make it."

"Ah, so you're stag then?" Jack asked.

Again, Daniel looked uncomfortable. "Um, no, not exactly. I brought a, um, a date."

"Really?" Jack was quite surprised. "Who?"

George turned to look around the room behind Jack and raised his eyebrows, smiling. Jack followed his gaze and sucked in his breath. In a long black, sequined gown with a gold beading around the halter neckline that left little to the imagination, stood Lieutenant Colonel Samantha Carter. She looked up the minute his gaze touched her and smiled. The room simply disappeared with all its occupants. Only Carter existed. Jack had to stop himself from running to her. The urge to be near her was overwhelming. Fortunately for him, she slowly made her way across the room, chatting with people as she did so until she stood with the three men.

"Generals, it's good to see you." She said.

"Colonel Carter, it's wonderful to see you." George reached out and gave her a gentle hug. It wasn't exactly protocol, but it was the holidays and he decided a little hug between old friends was called for.

She looked over at Jack. His mouth snapped closed. "Carter. No uniform?"

Before she could speak, Daniel chimed in. "Well, we figured since Sam wasn't here in an official capacity, she should come dressed in civilian clothes. I think she looks quite lovely. Don't you?" His words were addressed to Jack.

Jack shook his head to clear it of the lascivious thoughts that had suddenly rushed through it. "Absolutely. Carter you look…" Gorgeous. Ravishing. Delectable. Sexy as hell. "lovely."

She smiled at him. "Thank you, Sir."

Daniel turned to her. "Sam, would you like to dance?"

Sam looked momentarily confused. "Sure, I guess. Can you dance?"

He laughed. "Of course I can dance. Come on." Taking her hand, he waved to Jack and George and led her off toward the make shift dance floor a few rooms away.

George watched Jack carefully. He looked like he'd been smacked in the face with a staff weapon. "Well, that was certainly unexpected."

"It sure was." Jack agreed. His eyes were still on Carter's retreating form. The dress showed off her assets just as well from the back as the front. He'd watched her six for years, but it was almost always covered in BDU's. A slinky black dress gave him a whole new perspective on the perfection that was Carter's ass. He let out a heavy breath.

A lovely dark haired woman in a red and white gown walked up to them. "General Hammond, General O'Neill. I hope you're enjoying yourselves."

"Mrs. Hayes," George said to the First Lady. "It's a lovely party, thank you for having me."

She smiled graciously. "Well of course we couldn't have a party without two such handsome Generals. You're the only smart ones here. Beside my husband of course, and there are times when I think he's too entrenched in politics to think clearly."

"Well, ma'am," Jack said, "I'm sure he's grateful to have such a lovely lady to keep him in line."

She smacked him lightly on the arm. "General O'Neill, I don't care what anyone says, I quite like you."

"Well, to be honest, ma'am, I don't really care what anyone says either," he replied.

"General Hammond, I hope you don't mind if I steal General O'Neill. I'm dying for a dance and my husband is far too busy."

George nodded. "Absolutely, Mrs. Hayes. I think it's just what Jack needs."

She put her arm through Jack's and led him through the room without giving him a chance to turn her down. Not that he would have of course. "So, General, tell me, how are you enjoying Washington?"

They reached the dance floor and she turned to face him, placing one hand in his and the other on his shoulder. "I think it's full of crap, to be perfectly honest." He said, moving her expertly around the room, trying not to look for Carter and Daniel.

She laughed happily. "Oh, I do like you indeed. I'm so glad to have someone who speaks his own mind. It's incredibly rare." Looking around, she nodded her head. "Isn't that Dr. Jackson you used to work with?"

Jack turned her around so he could see. Daniel and Carter were moving across the dance floor chatting. He felt a surge of pure envy run through him. He wanted to be Daniel more than anything in the world at that exact moment. "Yes, ma'am. That's Daniel."

"Well, I would love to meet him. I have a deep interest in Egyptian mythology. Would you introduce me?"

Jack let her go and they walked across the floor to where Sam and Daniel were dancing. "I hate to interrupt," he said when they reached the other couple, "but I have someone here who would like to meet you." He introduced Daniel and Sam to Mrs. Hayes. Daniel's eyes lit up when she mentioned speaking to him about Egypt. Jack met Carter's gaze.

"Dr. Jackson," she said. "I hate to drag you away from your lovely partner here, but I'm sure General O'Neill wouldn't mind taking your place so we can chat, would you, General?"

Jack shook his head, his eyes never leaving Carter's. "I wouldn't mind at all, ma'am."

Daniel and Mrs. Hayes walked off and Jack placed his hand on Sam's hip, taking her other hand in his. He struggled to keep an appropriate distance between them. "So, how have you been?"

Sam didn't know what to do. She'd never danced with General O'Neill before and felt as though some wild fantasy was being fulfilled. She was suddenly grateful she didn't have to wear her uniform. It was difficult to feel like a woman in all that stiff fabric and braiding. She shrugged. "I've been good. You know, busy. You?"

Jack twirled her around the room. "Ah, same old, same old. Fighting with dumb ass officials who like to think they're gods. Make the Goa'uld look positively friendly."

Sam laughed. "I don't envy you, Sir."

His grip tightened slightly. "Oh, but I envy you, Carter. I wish I were going through the 'gate with you guys. Maybe not Vala, but the rest of you."

"Oh, come on, Sir, Vala's not so bad. She's just," Sam searched for the right word, "excitable. Once you get used to her, she's kind of fun. To be perfectly honest, we need a bit of fun."

"I wasn't fun?" He asked a note of mock hurt in his voice. "I thought I was fun. You didn't have fun?"

"Of course, we had fun as a team, Sir. Since you've been gone though, well, we haven't had a lot until Vala came along."

Sam's confession made Jack feel light. His voice softened. "What about you, Carter? Did you have fun? With me?"

Sam licked her bottom lip. "I, um, ah, yes. Yes, I did have fun; with you. I miss you being on the team. I miss you, Sir."

Jack turned them again so that they were on the edge of the dance floor. "It's warm in here, don't you think?"

Sam took her hand from his shoulder and turned toward the door. Jack put his hand on the small of her back and led her through the Red Room and then through an open door to the South Portico. Large heat lamps had been set discreetly near the columns to ward off the cold December air. The coolness was a welcome relief after the heat of the crowded rooms inside. They were silent for a few moments, taking in the view of DC. Jack saw Sam shiver and realized she was wearing far fewer layers than he was. "Damn, Carter, you're cold. Here," he shrugged off his jacket and draped it around her shoulders.

Sam was grateful for the jacket. It had been hot inside, but the air outside was much chillier than she'd remembered and her thin dress did little to keep it out. His jacket enveloped her in the warmth of his own body and the scent of pure Jack. She took a deep breath, trying to take in as much as she could; sighing at the comfort it brought her. She missed him more than she had let on. There wasn't a day that went by that she didn't think about him. "Thank you, Sir."

"So, you and Daniel? You're not, um, you know, together are you?"

She looked at him in such shock he knew he was completely off base. "What? No. Absolutely not. Daniel is like a brother to me. I could never think of him like that. Besides, he and Vala, well, they're like oil and water, but it's clear they have a thing for each other. Vala was livid when Dr. Lam wouldn't let her off base and she had to miss the party."

"What about me?" Jack asked quietly. "Do you think of me as a brother, too?"

Sam couldn't speak. She shook her head. She had many thoughts about Jack O'Neill, but no one could ever call any of them brotherly.

"Thank god," he whispered. Reaching out, he pulled her close to him. "Dance with me?"

They swayed to the distant music, not so much dancing as holding onto each other. Her blue eyes were locked with his deep brown ones. Like the moment she walked through the door, everything and everyone else faded away. Jack pulled her close, closing the gap between them. His head came down, he mouth close to her ear. "You look gorgeous."

The noise inside suddenly got louder and they both jumped slightly, turning toward the doors. A countdown started and they realized it was almost midnight. Sam looked at him with stricken eyes. She felt like Cinderella and the ball was about to end.

The countdown became louder. "5, 4, 3, 2, 1. Happy New Year!" The crowd blew horns and clinked glasses while the band struck up Auld Lang Sine. Out over the city, fireworks shot high into the air illuminating the night.

"So," Jack said quietly, "we survived another year."

"Yes, I suppose we did." She agreed.

"I think I'd like to start 2006 off with a resolution."

Sam laughed. "You?"

He raised his eyebrows. "What? Stranger things have happened. We've traveled through a wormhole to other planets for crying out loud."

"I guess. So, what's your resolution?" She asked.

Jack's eyes turned darker and he drew her closer. "I'm finally going to kiss the woman I love."

Sam's breath caught. She was glad Jack was holding her up, or she might have crumpled to the ground. "You-you are?"

He brushed a finger across her cheek. "I am."

"When?" Her voice was little more than a whisper.

Jack's thumb moved across her bottom lip. "Right now," he leaned in and brought his lips to hers. Her response was immediate and he groaned against her, his tongue dipping into her mouth. He pulled her until her there was no distance between their bodies. Sam wrapper her arms around his neck, one hand moving up into his short hair. Their tongues battled in a primitive dance. They tasted and swirled and licked until he finally broke their kiss and stared down at her. "I love you, Samantha Carter."

Her eyes shimmered with unshed tears, but her smile was bright. "I love you too, Jack. So much." She pulled his head back down for another searing kiss. They'd waited far too long to have this moment and she wasn't willing to let it end.

Jack thought he could kiss her forever, but his traitorous body felt the overwhelming need for air. "You now, I don't live far from here. We could be at my house in less than 20 minutes."

"Any chance you could make it 15?" She teased.

"For you, I'll do my damndest." He kissed her one more time. "Happy New Year, Sam."

"Happy New Year, Jack."

* * *

George Hammond and Daniel Jackson watched Sam and Jack beat a hasty retreat, both smiling at the image of them acting like teenagers. George turned to Daniel. "So, did you?"

Daniel grinned deviously. "I did." He looked over to see President and Mrs. Hayes smiling their way and gave them a nod.

George watched the interaction, his eyes narrowing. "Where the President and Mrs. Hayes in on this?"

"They were." Daniel took a sip of the champagne he'd been handed by a passing waiter just before midnight. "You don't really think I'd be invited to a party like this, do you?"

George laughed heartily. "And Vala? She was in on it too?"

A coughing fit overtook Daniel as the champagne went down the wrong way. "Um, no."

"So, how did you get her to agree to let Sam come in her place?"

"Well," Daniel drawled. "See, that's the thing. She's sort of sick."

"Sort of?" George asked suspiciously.

"Well, um, see, Dr. Lam had to help me with that one." Daniel fidgeted, pushing his glasses up on his face and spoke quickly. "She gave Vala some purgative to make her think she picked up some bug on our last mission and then quarantined her inside the mountain."

George let out a soft whistle. "You'd better pray she never finds out what you did or there will be hell to pay."

"Oh, I know, General. Believe me, I know. Let's just hope she never finds out."

"For your sake, son, I hope she doesn't," George told him. "For the record though, you did a good thing tonight. Those two needed a nudge in the right direction."

Daniel snorted. "What they needed was a swift kick in the ass."

"Truer words, Dr. Jackson," George said. He held his glass up and they clinked them together. "Here's to 2006. May we all find happiness, especially Jack and Sam."

"Amen to that, General. And may Vala never, ever find out what I did."

* * *

Thanks to relatively low traffic, Jack and Sam managed to make it from the party to his townhouse in thirteen minutes flat. The held hands the entire way and barely made it through the door before Sam's dress was on the floor and Jack's hands were all over her body. "Can I be cliché for a minute and tell you that dress looks far better on the floor?" Jack said cheekily.

Sam gasped as his hand moved to the underside of one of her breasts. "You know, I've always thought that uniform would look stunning crumpled in a heap by the bed."

"Well, who am I to deny a lady? What's say we get upstairs and check out your theory?" Jack took her hand and led her up the wide staircase to the master bedroom, where she made quick work of his uniform and studied the pile momentarily.

She turned and gave him a huge smile. "It absolutely looks better on the floor. We should have done that years ago."

Jack grabbed her and pushed her onto the bed, coming down so that he was above her. His arms were on either side of her head, holding his weight. "Yes, we should have, now, quit thinking about my clothes. There are other far more interesting things about me you should explore this year."

"I cannot wait," she said reaching up to pull him to her. They shared a long, slow kiss that spoke of a new beginning and many more new year's celebrations together.

**FIN**

**For the record, this was inspired by Ella Fitzgerald's "What Are You Doing New Year's Eve?" It made me think NYE would be a lovely time for Jack and Sam to get together and wouldn't it be fun if a certain president had a hand in it? Thanks for reading!**


End file.
